{UAH} Monitor journalist detained about 'Nyumba Kumi' story

Folks,

I stated here yesterday how a lazy sub editor can get a journalist into trouble. Police should desist from arresting journalists for writing 'incorrect' stories and allow media houses to make corrections.

However since too many mistakes are coming into our print media today and much of it appear to be the fault of the sub-editors supposed to edit and add flavour to stories filed by field journalists, let media houses adopt of rule of deducting salaries of say 10 percent from the guilty editor every time an embarrassingly incorrect story like this appears which results in sullying the image of a media house.

Of course any serious sub editor would have known for a start that Mayumba Kumi started wit UNLF after the fall of Amin, copied from a Tanzanian model and was never an Obote creation. But again, this sub editor might have been born after 1979, but that should not stop them from reading!

Can you imagine a Ugandan newspaper sometime published  a story referring to Tanzanian prime minister PETER MIZENGO PINDAa as 'Tanzanian prime minister Mujinga Punda"? No corrections came forth even after referring to a key leader from a neighbouring country as some kind of 'STUPID DONKEY'!

Billie

Monitor journalist detained over minister Karooro story

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By ALFRED TUMUSHABE

Posted  Thursday, April 23  2015 at  01:00

In Summary

The police said the story which appeared in Daily Monitor on April 22, titled 'Let us return to Obote's security system - minister' portrayed minister Karooro as praising Nyumba Kumi, commonly known as Mayumba Kumi security system, which was false and misinformed the public.

BUSHENYI- Police in Bushenyi District have detained a Daily Monitor correspondent over allegations of disseminating false information.

Mr Zadock Amanyisa was summoned to Bushenyi Police Station by the officer in-charge of CID and acting district police commander, Mr Peter Tindyebwa, yesterday over a story he authored about Security minister and Bushenyi District Woman MP Mary Karooro Okurut.

The police said the story which appeared in Daily Monitor on April 22, titled 'Let us return to Obote's security system - minister' portrayed minister Karooro as praising Nyumba Kumi, commonly known as Mayumba Kumi security system, which was false and misinformed the public.

"I was rang by the OC CID at around 9am, instructing me to report to his office in the shortest time possible, and that my quick response would save me. When I reached there, he told me that he has an order from police headquarters to detain me," said Mr Amanyisa.

He was locked up in a police cell at around 10.20am and later released on bond at 2pm after intervention of journalists. Mr Amanyisa was charged with dissemination of false information. Police based the charge on Press and Journalist Act and Section 40, Sub-section 1 on professional code of ethics under election related laws 2006.

The law says 'no journalist shall disseminate information without establishing its correctness or truth'. Mr Tindyebwa said: "The word Obote was not mentioned and the reporter tried to compare situations, saying the one under Obote was better compared to present time, and she (Ms Karoro) never mentioned that."

Speaking during a fundraising at St Francis Ryamabengwa Primary School on Sunday, Ms Karooro, who was the chief guest, said: "We need to bring back the Mayumba Kumi system of administration where every 10 households make a cluster which gives the chairperson LC1 the duty to identify who has slept in the village. That's how we shall get to know and be aware of the strange people who are likely to cause insecurity."

Police said they are carrying out more investigations and they will submit Mr Amanyisa's file to the DPP. The journalist was told to report back on April 28.
In a statement issued by the Uganda Media Centre on behalf of the minister, Ms Karooro denied mentioning the name Obote, adding that the Mayumba Kumi was started during the short-lived post president Idi Amin UNLF government.

"Nowhere in my address did the name Obote feature. Moreover, the Mayumba Kumi security system was a programme of the UNLF government. It was initiated after the fall of Idi Amin and it was a reflection of the Tanzania experience. In modern speak, the "Mayumba Kumi" village security system is the neighbourhood watch," Ms Karooro said.

atumushabe@ug.nationmedia.com